Album Review: Hannah Aldridge, "Razor Wire"

For many artists, their debut album is a labor of love, the realization of many years of hard work and long miles on the road plying their trade from bar to bar and town to town.  Some debut albums really stand out from the crowd and are a good indication of the potential staying power of the artist.  Such is the case with "Razor Wire" (Trodden Black Entertainment) by Hannah Aldridge.

Co-writing nine of the ten tracks on the album, Ms. Aldridge takes us on a journey through her young life so far.  Kicking off with the feisty "You Ain't Worth The Fight", the listener knows right away that this lady doesn't put up with crap from anyone.  The character in "Old Ghost" is a woman that many of us, male or female, can relate to when finding your way through the beginnings of certain new relationships.  

Two of the darkest tunes on the album are also among the best written.  The title track, "Razor Wire," could be the among the bravest songs I've ever heard written and recorded.  A stark piece of truthful storytelling, one can really sense the place of vulnerability that Hannah was feeling both in her life and at the time of writing.  This young lady really put her heart on her sleeve with this track and it is a true highlight of the album.  When you have a song as melancholy and dark as "Razor Wire", the only thing you can do is follow it up with something darker and more melancholy.  A tale of life on death row, "Parchman" fits the bill in spades.  I don't think I have to tell you that a story about life on death row doesn't end particularly well.

The feisty side of Hannah Aldridge makes its return with the rockin' "Howlin' Bones" and a tremendous cover of Jason Isbell's "Try."  Both songs present an opportunity for Hannah to stretch out her impressive vocal range, as well as matching her up with Isbell's backing band, The 400 Unit for "Try."  Lyrically, this song fits in well with the overall dark theme of the album, with its contemplation of trying to control an individual.

The final three songs on the album complete Hannah's open book that has brought her to this point in her life.  "Black and White" draws on her life experience in her native Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and ties in to her present as she sings a verse inspired by her young son.  "Lie Like You Love Me" is a tale of longing for and needing an old flame if only for one night at a time, followed by the inevitable morning-after-regret.  This tune is a straight ahead country song and highlights the diverse performing styles of Hannah and the talented musicians playing on this album.  "Lonesome" is a beautifully written and performed song that reflects the time of her parents divorce.  It's a stripped down semi-closing number, with just Hannah and her guitar once again leaving herself out in the open and inviting the world to listen to her story.  An acoustic version of "Razor Wire" is the real closer of the album, appearing as a 'hidden track' after "Lonesome."

For a debut effort, Hannah Aldridge has created a stand-out album that should signal the beginning of a long career for this young lady.  Described by Hannah as 'Dark Americana', it's tough to argue with that assessment.  The topics on the album are certainly dark in nature, but along with this darkness, there appears to be an overall sense of reflection and vulnerability. This album truly is a brave project, one that Ms. Aldridge can be very proud of. What's more exciting is, this is only the beginning.  We will be hearing from Hannah Aldridge for a very long time and I can't wait to hear the next chapter from this gifted singer-songwriter. 

Album Review: The Loudermilks, Self-Titled Release

It's a special thing when talented musicians come together for the common purpose of making great music and creating art.  Such is the case with a debut album released this week by an act made up of veteran artists who have experienced the ups and downs of a musicians life, and have shown that their passion for this business cannot be denied.

The Loudermilks are an act based out of North Carolina and are named in honor of the legendary Ira and Charlie Loudermilk (aka, the Louvin Brothers).  Members of the band include brothers Alan (vocals, mandolin) and Chad Edwards (vocals, guitar), Jason Atkins (piano, organ), Shawn Lynch (vocals, bass), and Mike Kenerly (drums). This four-man band captures the essence of the roots/Americana sound, as their diverse musical styles shine through on this album.  The lead track, "Watch 'Em Fall" starts off acousitcally with a beautiful mix of guitar and mandolin, soon followed by haunting pedal steel backed by an electric organ.  The harder edged "Quite Honestly" highlights the rougher side of The Loudermilks, showing the diversity of this talented band.

"Come Along With Me" is a raucous number tailor-made for Saturday night at the honky-tonk.  One of the real highlights on the album is the beautifully written and performed "Everybody Knows You", a tale of longing and wishful thinking.  What sets The Loudermilks apart from a lot of other acts, is their ability to move seemlessly from their ballad side to their rocking side with absolutely no effort.  "Broken Record" is a song that features heavily on electric guitar, which is followed up by the haunting "Jim Dugan", which is subsequently followed up by the quirky "What It Is."

The songwriting credits are split between brothers Alan and Chad Edwards.  Together, along with their bandmates, The Loudermilks have crafted a solid record that's been released in time for summer road trips, patios or just relaxing at home listening to some solid music.  A great cross between Canadian roots group Blue Rodeo and Americana stalwarts The Bottle Rockets, this self-titled debut represents a great starting point for this North Carolina band who should be on their way to a long and storied career.  Check out The Loudermilks web site for tour dates and to purchase the album

Concert Review: Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Kacey Musgraves - Lewiston, New York - June 7, 2014

A beautiful late summer evening greeted thousands of music fans gathering at the Artpark Amphitheatre on the banks of the Niagara River Gorge on June 7 to see and hear one of the most varied and eclectic package shows in recent memory.  Indeed, the cross-generational appeal of the bill featuring young rising singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves, the so-incredibly-talented Alison Krauss and Union Station and the timeless legend that is Willie Nelson was a show for the ages.  This show was out of this world.

On the road in support of her GRAMMY winning album "Same Trailer, Different Park", Kacey Musgraves is one of the very few young artsits in country music today that is producing high quality material.  Her songwriting is impeccable, as evidenced by the cool "Blowin' Smoke", her uplifting signature song "Follow Your Arrow", or the beautiful and melancholy "I Miss You." For long time country music fans like me, Kacey Musgraves is a breath of fresh air.  A young lady who is sticking to her guns seemingly not to care about what's commercially successful on radio, just carving out her own path doing what feels right for her.  The album has gone gold, she has had significant radio air play, the people recognize she's real and are buying it.  One other intangible that I loved about her performance was the respect for the history of country music she shows: her backing band were all dressed up in smart, Nudie Cohn-style suits, they performed a latino-style cover of the George Strait hit "I Just Wanna Dance With You", and closed the show with an a capella version of "Happy Trails."  Kacey's performance was the perfect way to kick off the show.

What more can one really say about Alison Krauss and Union Station.  Ms.Krauss has been courted by virtually every major record label in Nashville, but continues to record for Massachussetts based independent Rounder Records.  Union Station could arguably be the greatest collection of backing musicians ever to take a stage.  Couple that with Ms. Krauss's angelic vocals and you have one of the most timeless groups in the history of country and Americana music.  When Alison Krauss and Union Station take the stage, you arguably have the greatest collection of musical talent in any genre in one place.  Performing many of their best known songs in a lengthy set which included "Every Time You Say Goodbye", "The Lucky One", "Ghost In This House" along with several instrumentals, the group left the audience spellbound.  What makes this group function so well together is that they're smart enough to recognize each other's talent.  When you have a musician that is the calibre of Jerry Douglas, it's only right to turn him loose on a couple of songs.  When you have a talent the calibre of Dan Tyminski, it's only proper to put him out front on lead vocal on a few tunes, most notably the song that kicked off the whole roots-revival, "Man of Constant Sorrow".  While Alison Krauss is the featured vocalist and is clearly the featured performer, she is smart enough to realize that her fellow artists deserve to share in the spotlight and she is more than accomodating.  They are a special group of artists who deserve the respect and appreciation they receive.

It's recently dawned on me that a Willie Nelson concert is really an experience, one that is to be appreciated.  Now well in to his 80's, Mr. Nelson has transcended beyond a country artist or singer-songwriter.  He is a national treasure, an icon in the true sense of the word.  Touring with The Family in support of his newly release album "Band of Brothers", Willie took the crowd on a non-stop hour and 45 minute trip through the history of his career.  Kicking off with "Whiskey River", and moving us through a stretch that paid hommage to his fellow Outlaw, Waylon Jennings, Mr. Nelson performed his lengthy set without even stopping for water.  He showed the world he still has the guitar chops on his version of "Night Life", a signature song for fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member the late, great Ray Price.  A solo version of his duet with Toby Keith, "Beer For My Horses" worked it's way in to the set, as well as a couple of instrumentals featuring Mr. Nelson's sister Bobbi on piano.  The final moments of the show re-created a church revival, as Kacey Musgraves, Jerry Douglas and others joined Willie on stage for rousing versions of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "I Saw the Light."  Post performance and with the band still playing, Mr. Nelson graciously signed autographs for those lined up at the foot of the stage for several minutes before waving goodbye, thanking the audience and leaving the stage.  

And thus concluded an outstanding night of music from the best cross-section of artists you could gather.  A beautiful and talented newcomer who's brigtest days are ahead of her; a beautiful and talented group of artists that are still at the top of their game and getting better; and an icon in music and artistry who showed his two opening acts that if they keep honing their craft and staying true to themselves, that it's entirely possible to keep doing this thing they all love for 50+ years if they so choose.

Americana Music Association Announces 2014 Awards Nominees

May 12th, 2014 was a special day for many in the Americana movement as the Americana Music Association revealed the nominees for the 2014 Honors and Awards Ceremony, set to take place on September 17.  Looking at the list of this years nominees, a shift appears to be taking place where younger artists are beginning to turn heads amongst the Association faithful.  As a member of the Association myself, I admit that it's a necessary shift.

Leading the list with the most nominations are Jason Isbell and Roseanne Cash.  Nominated in three categories each, the nominations are much deserved as both artists issued stellar albums in the past year with Isbell's "Southeastern" and Cash's "The River and the Thread."  Both albums are up for Album of the Year, with Isbell's "Cover Me Up" and Cash's "A Feather's Not a Bird" nominated in the Song of the Year category and both artists named in the Artist of the Year category.  Rounding out the Artist of the Year category are nominees Rodney Crowell and Robert Ellis.  As you can see, it's a great mix of two veteran artists who still bring it with every project they issue and two younger artists who are just hitting their creative stride. 

A similar situation exists in the Song of the Year category with Robert Ellis receiving a second nod of the night for "Only Lies", while veteran Patty Griffin receives her only nod for "Ohio" off her American Kid album.  The parable here is that the Association is (to some, finally) recognizing the amazing young talent that exists in this genre and acknowledging this talent accordingly by nominating these artists in categories with the well known veterans who have laid the groundwork for the Americana movement.  While it may not be a full passing of the torch, it is nice to see the youth of the genre receiving this type of recognition.  Having said that, it's always nice to see veteran artists like Rodney Crowell, Roseanne Cash and Patty Griffin receiving the same recognition by the only Association who appreciates the talent, skill and knowledge that only a veteran artist can bring to the table.  They deserve to have their recent projects acknowledged accordingly where appropriate, as this is the only genre that considers a veteran/legendary act relevant in today's musical landscape.

Perhaps the most hotly contested category will be that of the Emerging Act of the Year.  Sturgill Simpson and Parker Millsap are stone cold, straight ahead country artists, mixed in with the more roots based sounds of Hurray For The Riff Raff and Valerie June.  The dark horse in this category could be St. Paul and the Broken Bones.  I wrote about this act in my coverage of the 2013 Americana Music Festival and Conference, and I'm telling you, this group blew the doors, windows and roof off the High Watt in Nashville.  They are one of the most unique and high energy acts on the road today, and they could very well walk out of the Ryman with the Emerging Act of the Year trophy in September ... an early prediction I know, but it's possible.

Regardless of who wins, the Americana Music Awards is a special show.  It is a night where the community comes together and for some of us, it's a chance to catch up with old friends, make some new friends and celebrate the best music and art that is being created in the world today.  I hope to catch up with many of you in Nashville from September 17 to 21.  In the meantime, here is the list of nominees, courtesy of the Americana Music Association web site.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Build Me Up From Bones, Sarah Jarosz

The Lights From The Chemical Plant, Robert Ellis

The River And The Thread, Rosanne Cash

Southeastern, Jason Isbell

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Rosanne Cash

Rodney Crowell

Robert Ellis

Jason Isbell

DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR

The Avett Brothers

The Devil Makes Three

Hard Working Americans

Lake Street Dive

The Milk Carton Kids

SONG OF THE YEAR

"Cover Me Up", Jason Isbell

"A Feather's Not A Bird", Rosanne Cash

"Ohio", Patty Griffin

"Only Lies", Robert Ellis

EMERGING ACT OF THE YEAR

Hurray For The Riff Raff

Parker Millsap

St. Paul & The Broken Bones

Sturgill Simpson

Valerie June

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

Larry Campbell

Fats Kaplin

Buddy Miller

Bryan Sutton

Album Review: Reagan Boggs, "Quicksand"

The latest release from Virginia native Reagan Boggs is actually my introduction to this wonderful singer-songwriter.  Already receiving much praise, "Quicksand" is a strong album that is a great step forward in a budding career for Ms. Boggs.

Writing twelve of the thirteen tracks on the project, Ms. Boggs takes us on a journey of personal growth and strength of the human condition.  Kicking off with the straight-ahead country song "On a Bad Note", she tells a tale of love gone bad while remaining thankful for the good memories that relationship produced.  "Saving Grace" speaks to life for many of us when we are stretched to the core and in need of something to get us through.  "When It Mattered" is a solid and sarcastic kiss-off song, reminiscent of more than one Loretta Lynn classic, yet arranged to be completely unique. 

Country-soul takes center stage with "Can't Do Life", while Ms. Boggs shows off her fun side with "Appalachia."  The melancholy "Seldom Do" is a beautiful and reflective piece that speaks to changes in life, yet some people remain the same.  Two of the finest tracks on the album are duets, the first being the latest single off the album "Better Man."  Featuring one of East Nashville's finest, Eric Brace on backing vocals, "Better Man" is the only track on the album not written by Boggs.  A cover of the Pearl Jam classic, written by Eddie Vedder, the song is a brilliant ballad that is told from the female perspective.  It is a highlight of the album and the artists are very deserving of the accolades they are receiving for their performance of this song.

Not to be outdone, the other duet on this album in my mind is equally as good.  "You Deserve Better", performed with Dave Coleman, is a Reagan Boggs original that is absolutely heartbreaking.  A story that many out there have lived, a tale of two people falling out of love and going through the motions.  After denying the inevitable, they now realize where their relationship will ultimately end. 

"Quicksand" represents the continued strong growth of Reagan Boggs as an all-around artist.  Her vocal is strong and striking.  Her writing tells life stories that matter and affect the listener.  Reagan Boggs is as fine a singer as you will hear on the road and radio today.  Keep listening to this rising star, it won't be the last you hear of Reagan Boggs.  "Quicksand" is poised to be a breakout album of the year in Americana.  Visit Reagan's web site to listen to "Quicksand", as well as her previous releases, and to purchase the album.  You can also visit Amazon to purchase "Quicksand" as well.

Concert Review: Emmylou Harris at Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario - April 15, 2014

It seems to be a growing trend among true artists. Those artists who have been around long enough for us to care about their incredible work long after the radio hits have stopped coming, to go on tour and perform a significant album in their career in its entirety.  And so it is with Emmylou Harris and Wrecking Ball, her Grammy winning (Best Contemporary Folk Album) project from 1995  The album is significant for more than its award winning status ... it is a cornerstone album for the entire Americana movement.  It was Americana before the Americana name really existed, at least in the musical genre sense.  It also set Ms. Harris' career in a new and important direction, as the album was a significant departure from her more familiar radio hits.  It's an album that was created strictly for the music and the strengh and depth of the song. 

So why hit the road and perform the album now?  It's the 19th anniversary not the 20th, which is a significant milestone.  As Ms. Harris put it, "We couldn't wait for the 20th", they had to do it now.  And who could blame them.  Wrecking Ball still resonates with the listener to this day and is so good, why wait.  Take it to the people.  

Performing with a three piece band, which included Wrecking Ball producer Daniel Lanois, Ms. Harris brought the sold out Massey Hall crowd on her journey through all 12 tracks of the album.  The song selection for this album represents one of the strongest collections of songwriters I have seen.  From the opening track "Where Will I Be", written by Daniel Lanois, to "Sweet Old World", written by Lucinda Williams, to the title track written by Neil Young, Ms. Harris and Mr. Lanois created a tapestry that explores spirituality and heartache, love and loss.  Perhaps the finest performance on the album, and indeed the Massey Hall performance, is the version of Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand."  Ms. Harris' has an indellible way to make her listener's feel the joy and pain of every note that she sings. 

An interesting side note to this album and given the show was in Toronto, is the amount of Canadian content that is featured on Wrecking Ball.  As noted by Ms. Harris, the album features the aforementioned producer, Daniel Lanois, the writer of the title track is Neil Young, and the album features "Goin' Back to Harlen" by the late Anna McGarrigle of Montreal.  Anna and Kate McGarrigle have had a long friendship with Emmylou Harris over the years.  A great side note to this particular track, was the exclusion of this song on the Trio album that Ms. Harris did with Linda Rondstadt and Dolly Parton.  Having watched the performance of this song and listening to it on the album, I would agree that it fits better on Wrecking Ball.

Wrecking Ball was more than an important album for the Americana movement.  It marked a new phase in the career of a woman who began as a central figure in the country-rock era in the early 1970's in southern California performing with Gram Parsons.  Wrecking Ball and the albums that have since followed show a veteran artist and performer that is still hungry to explore new territory, one who is not afraid to stretch the boundaries of their creativity.  A show such as this is a wonderful way to revisit a classic album and hear some of the stories associated with its creation from those who were there.  Emmylou Harris and her bandmates commence a tour of Europe where they will perform Wrecking Ball in May.  Check out her web site for tour dates and details.

In the meantime, the album was re-issued on April 8 as a 3 disc package to celebrate the 19th anniversary of its release.  The package will contain the original release of Wrecking Ball on one disc, while a separate disc will contain songs recorded for but not included on the 1995 version.  The third disc is a DVD documentary about the making of Wrecking Ball.  It is a perfect tribute and perfect time to revisit one of the greatest albums from one of the most influential artists of our time, and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Book Review: Buck 'Em: The Autobiography of Buck Owens

When one thinks of country music's Outlaw movement, automatically visions of the great Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson come to mind.  And rightfully so.  Waylon and Willie epitomized the Outlaw movement in country music, the movement which sought to end the stranglehold that the Nashville recording industry establishment had on the success and failure of its artists.  What makes this movement so well known, is that this particular Outlaw movement became commercialized and therefore commercially successful as evidenced by the sales experienced by the "Wanted: The Outlaws" album featuring Waylon and Willie, as well as Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser.  But it should be noted that before the Outlaw movement took place in the mid 1970's, an Outlaw movement took place some 15 or so years earlier which shook the Nashville establishment to its core.  

The life and career of Buck Owens has finally been chronicled, and it's been well worth the wait. The writing of the book itself could not have been an easy task.  Taken from hundreds of hours of audio recordings that Mr. Owens made over the years leading up to his death, author Randy Poe has constructed a story as told by Mr. Owens, that tells the life tale of one of the greatest country music singers, songwriters and pioneers of all time.  Written as if Mr. Owens dictated his life story to Randy, the story speaks to Mr. Owens' childhood spent in poverty from his birth in Texas, chronicles his family's move during the dust bowl years to Mesa, Arizona, and finally ending up in Bakersfield, California where he would reside until his death in 2006.  

The story of Buck Owens is very revealing as it shows how life events can truly effect the life path we choose.  For example, his impoverished upbringing instilled a drive to be successful in Buck that is nearly unmatched in music.  His success didn't just extend to hits on the country music charts ... it extended to the business side of the music industry where one could argue he was even more successful.  

His start as a recording artist is also chronicled, and this is where Buck Owens was Outlaw before Outlaw was cool.  In 1959, after his first recording sessions for Capitol Records failed to produce any hits, Mr. Owens sent a letter to his producer, Ken Nelson, where Mr. Owens stated he felt the records being produced were not his sound, not his type of country music.  He further stated that he wanted to record his music his way, and if there was no agreement to be had, perhaps they should end their contract.  Needless to say that didn't happen.  Twenty number one hits and millions of records sold later, it's clear who was right in that argument.  It should also be noted that all of this took place outside of Nashville, nearly his entire recording career was based in California.  

The story of his friendship with Don Rich is also told in intimate detail.  When I mention that this story talks of how life events shaped Buck Owens, this story is the most heart wrenching.  The premature passing of Don Rich hurt Mr. Owens so badly, that one can tell his drive to even make music had died as well.  The music they made together was timeless, and the devastation this event had on Mr. Owens' life is sad.  

The legacy of Buck Owens, like it or not, is pretty much laid bare in two parts.  One is the pioneer, a man who is one of the most influential singer-songwriter's of all time.  Mr. Owens has influenced many country stars of today, such as Dwight Yoakam and Brad Paisley, both of whom contribute to the writing of this book.  As label mates on Capitol, The Beatles requested to receive copies of every Buck Owens record as it was produced.  The other is the man most of us saw on the television show Hee Haw every Saturday night for 17 years.  It's clear Mr. Owens felt two ways about appearing on that show, and felt that Nashville slighted him because he was a member of Hee Haw.  But if you visit Nashville today, or if you've been there in the last couple of years, you will see one of the finest exhibits ever produced by the Country Music Hall of Fame, as they present "The Bakersfield Sound: The Music of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country."  It is the finest tribute to one of the greatest periods in the history of country music, of which Buck Owens was at the forefront.  The book "Buck 'Em: The Autobiography of Buck Owens" is a great story, a great read and a must for any music fan.